Blue Earth Sheriff: Man shoots himself after woman's death ruled homicide
Police lights generic. (FOX 9)
LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when law enforcement went to speak with him about a woman who was found shot to death in rural Lake Crystal.
Woman's suspicious death ruled a homicide
What we know:
The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office initially reported the woman's death as suspicious after they responded to a home on 515th Avenue just north of Highway 60 in rural Lake Crystal around 7:20 p.m. on Thursday.
READ MORE: Woman found dead in Blue Earth Co. home prompts ‘suspicious’ death investigation
Authorities shared on Friday evening that the woman's death was ruled a homicide with the cause of death being multiple gunshot wounds.
The woman was identified as Kristi Joy Gardner, 57, of Lake Crystal.
Investigators then determined Gardner "had been involved in a relationship" with a 64-year-old man from New Ulm, according to a news release from the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office.
Multiple agencies then went to the man's home to locate him.
Law enforcement then found the man unresponsive with "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" just before 6 a.m. Friday, according to the news release.
The man was then taken to an intensive care unit at a Minneapolis hospital.
What we don't know:
Law enforcement have not shared details on the circumstances that may have led to Gardner's death.
The current condition of the man has not been released by law enforcement.
FOX 9 typically does not name suspects until they are criminally charged.
The Source: News releases from the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office.